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Battle of Toba–Fushimi
}} The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or Keiō-4 year, 1-month, 3-day, according to the Japanese calendar), when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa Domains clashed near Fushimi, Kyoto. The battle lasted for four days, ending in a decisive defeat for the Tokugawa shogunate. Background On 4 January 1868, the restoration of Imperial rule was formally proclaimed. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu had earlier resigned his authority to the emperor, agreeing to "be the instrument for carrying out" imperial orders.Satow, p. 282. The Tokugawa Shogunate had ended.Keene, p. 116. See also Jansen, pp. 310–1. However, while Yoshinobu's resignation created a nominal void at the highest level of government, his apparatus of state continued to exist. Moreover, the Tokugawa family remained a prominent force in the evolving political order,Keene, pp. 120–1, and Satow, p. 283. Moreover, Satow (p. 285) speculates that Yoshinobu agreed to an assembly of daimyos on the hope that such a body would reinstate him a prospect hard-liners from Satsuma and Chōshū found intolerable.Satow, p. 286. Although the majority of fifteen-year-old Emperor Meiji’s consultative assembly was happy with the formal declaration of direct rule by the Court and tended to support a continued collaboration with the Tokugawa, Saigō Takamori physically threatened members of the assembly into ordering the confiscation of Yoshinobu's lands.During a recess, Saigō, who had his troops outside, "remarked that it would take only one short sword to settle the discussion" (Keene, p. 122). Original quotation : "短刀一本あればかたづくことだ." in Hagiwara, p. 42. Although he initially agreed to the Court’s demands, on 17 January 1868, Yoshinobu declared "that he would not be bound by the proclamation of the Restoration and called on the Court to rescind it."Keene, p. 124. On 24 January, after considerable provocation by Satsuma ronin in Edo, Yoshinobu, from his base at Osaka Castle decided to prepare an attack on Kyoto, ostensibly to dislodge the Satsuma and Chōshū elements dominating the Court and “freeing” young Emperor Meiji from their influence. Preparations The battle started with Shogunal forces moved in the direction of Kyoto to deliver a letter from Yoshinobu, warning the Emperor of the intrigues plotted by Satsuma and the court nobles who supported it, such as Iwakura Tomomi.Yamakawa Kenjirō. Aizu Boshin Senshi. Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1933, pp. 89–90 (with tall helmet) inspecting Chōshū troops at Fushimi]] The 15,000-strong Shogunal army outnumbered the Satsuma-Chōshū army by 3:1, and consisted mostly of men from the Kuwana and Aizu domains, reinforced by Shinsengumi irregulars. Although some of its members were mercenaries, others, such as the Denshūtai, had received training from French military advisers. Some of the men deployed in the front lines were armed in archaic fashion, with pikes and swords. For example, the troops of Aizu had a combination of modern soldiers and samurai, as did the troops of Satsuma to a lesser degree. The Bakufu had almost fully equipped troops and Chōshū troops were the most modern and organized of all.Totman, p. 435 According to Conrad Totman: "In terms of army organization and weaponry, the four main protagonists probably rank in this order: Chōshū was best; Bakufu infantry was next; Satsuma was next; and Aizu and most liege vassal forces were last".Totman, p.435 '' troops]] There was no clearly defined intent to fight on the part of the Shogunate troops, attested by the many empty rifles of the men in the vanguard. Motivation and leadership on the part of the Shogunate also seems to have been lacking.Totman, pp. 434–435 Although the forces of Chōshū and Satsuma were outnumbered, they were fully modernized with Armstrong howitzers, Minié rifles and one Gatling gun. The Shogunate forces had been slightly lagging in term of equipment, although a core elite force had been recently trained by the French military mission to Japan (1867–1868). The Shogun also relied on troops supplied by allied domains, which were not necessarily as advanced in terms of military equipment and methods, making up an army that had both modern and outdated elements. The British Navy, generally supportive of Satsuma and Chōshū, maintained a strong fleet in Osaka harbour, a factor of uncertainty which forced the Shogunate to maintain the garrison at Osaka with a significant part of its forces in reserve rather than commit them to the offensive in Kyōto.Totman, p.431 This foreign presence was related to the very recent opening of the ports of Hyōgo (modern Kobe) and Ōsaka to foreign trade three weeks earlier on 1 January 1868.[http://books.google.com/books?id=7OFYajIf9QgC&pg=PA304 The Cambridge History of Japan p. 304] Tokugawa Yoshinobu himself was in bed with a severe chill, and could not participate directly in the operations.Totman, p.431 Combat of 27 January On 27 January 1868 (Japanese calendar: 正月３日), Tokugawa Yoshinobu, based at Osaka Castle, south of Kyoto, started to move his troops north to Kyoto, through two main roads, one being the Toba road (鳥羽街道), and the other the Fushimi road (伏見街道). Altogether about 13,000 troops were moving forward, although they were widely spread out, leaving about 8,500 for the action at Toba–Fushimi.Totman, p. 420 The overall commander (Rikugun Bugyō) of the operation was Takenaka Shigekata.Totman, p. 422 Toba encounter on the right, behind the Koedabashi bridge (小枝橋), and Choshu troops at the bottom right.]] The Shogunal forces move in the direction of Toba under the command of vice-commander Ōkubo Tadayuki, making a total of about 2,000 to 2,500 troops.Totman, p.422 At around 1700, the Shogunal vanguard, made up largely of about 400 men of the Mimawarigumi, armed with pikes and some firearms, under Sasaki Tadasaburo, approached a Satsuma-manned barrier post at the Koeda bridge (小枝橋), Toba (located in what is now part of Minami-ku, Kyoto).Totman, p. 422 They were followed by two infantry battalions (歩兵), rifles empty as they did not really expect a fight, under Tokuyama Kōtarō, and further south by eight companies from Kuwana with four cannons. Some Matsuyama and Takamatsu troops and a few others were also participating, but Bakufu cavalry and artillery seem to have been absent.Totman, p. 422 In front of them were about 900 entrenched troops from Satsuma, with four cannons.Totman, p. 422 After denying the Shogunal force permission to pass peacefully, the Satsuma force opened fire from the flank, the first shots of the Boshin War. A Satsuma shell exploded on a gun carriage next to the horse of Shogunal commander Takigawa Tomotaka, causing the horse to throw Takigawa and bolt. The startled horse ran wild, throwing the Shogunal column into panic and disarray.Keene, Emperor Meiji and His World, p. 126 The Satsuma attack was forceful and quickly sent the Shogunal troops in disarray and retreat.Totman, p. 422 Sasaki ordered his men to charge the Satsuma gunners, but since the Mimawarigumi was armed only with spears and swords, his men were killed en masse.Yamakawa, pp. 94–95 However, the Kuwana forces and a unit under Kubota Shigeaki held their ground, making the skirmish rage on inconclusively.Yamakawa, p. 95 The Shogunal troops set fire to various houses as they retreated, but that allowed Satsuma snipers to aim more easily. The situation stabilized during the night, as troops from Kuwana arrived in reinforcement.Totman, p. 422 The Toba battlefield has been transformed into a public park, Tobarikyūato-kōen (鳥羽離宮跡公園), which contains a monument to the battle. It is located just between the Koeda bridge, where the Satsuma forces were stationed, and the Jōnangū temple (城南宮), where the Imperial forces had their headquarters. Fushimi encounter On the same day, Satsuma–Chōshū forces further to the southeast at Fushimi also inconclusively engaged Shogunal forces in their area.Sasaki Suguru, Boshin Sensō. Tokyo: Chuokōron-shinsha, 2004, p. 178. The Satsuma–Chōshū forces started firing on the Shogunal forces when they heard the firing of cannons from the area of Toba. The Shogunal forces were composed of Bakufu troops, Shinsengumi and Aizu troops. A violent encounter took place for the control of Bungobashi bridge (豊後橋). Events of 28 January On 28 January, Iwakura Tomomi gave Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi orders obtained from Emperor Meiji proclaiming Tokugawa Yoshinobu and his followers to be enemies of the Court, authorizing their suppression by military force, and granting use of the Imperial brocade banners.Ishii Takashi, Ishin no nairan. Tokyo: Shiseido, 1968, 11–17; Sasaki Suguru, Taisei hokan to tobaku mitchoku, Jinbun gahuho 80 1997, 28–29. These brocade banners were prepared beforehand, having been made by Okubo Toshimichi a few months previously, and stored in Chōshū domain and in the Satsuma Kyoto residence until an appropriate opportunity presented itself.Iwata, Masakazu. Okubo Toshimichi: the Bismarck of Japan. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1964, 114. was named nominal Commander in Chief of the army.]] In addition, Imperial Prince Yoshiaki, a young man of 22, who had lived as a Buddhist monk at the monzeki temple of Ninna-ji was named nominal Commander in Chief of the army. Although the Prince had no military experience, this nomination effectively transformed the Satsuma-Chōshū alliance forces into an Imperial army (or Kangun), which proved to be a powerful tool of psychological warfare, sending Shogunal forces into confusion and disarray, since anyone who fired on the army would automatically become a traitor to the Emperor. The Bakufu forces that had been to Toba retreated and regrouped with other Bakufu troops at Tominomori (富の森), where they set up their command base. Meanwhile, the Naval Battle of Awa took place that same day in the nearby Inland Sea. It was the first naval battle between modern fleets in Japan, and ended with a small Shogunal victory over a Satsuma fleet, but was insignificant to the unfolding of the land battle. Events of 29 January Tominomori encounter , and on the right Satsuma troops and Choshu troops .]] The Shogunal forces which had regrouped at Tominomori (富の森) were attacked by the forces of Satsuma in the morning. Around noon, the Imperial brocade banner appeared from behind the Satsuma-Chōshū lines. At first, neither side recognized the strange banner. Messengers had to be sent to both sides to explain what it was. Shogunal forces were thrown into confusion and Satsuma-Chōshū forces, their morale boosted, drew swords and charged the Shogunal lines. The Shogunal forces attempted to counter-attack, but were forced to retreat in disarray.Hillsborough, Shinsengumi: The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps, p. 142 In the afternoon, the Shogunal forces had once again to retreat to the area of Nōsho (納所), in the direction of the Yodo Castle. Takasegawa encounter , Choshu and Satsuma are visible on the right.]] The forces which had been to Fushimi, consisting in Aizu troops, Shinsengumi and Yūgekitai (遊撃隊) guerilla troops were again attacked at Takasegawa (高瀬川) and Ujigawa (宇治川) on the morning of the 28th by the troops of Satsuma and Choshu, and were forced to retreat after a bitter fight. They too, retreated in the direction of Yodo Castle. Shogunal forces attempted to regroup at Yodo Castle, but were refused admission, as the daimyo of Yodo Domain had decided to defect to the Imperial side on the appearance of the Imperial banner and defeat of the Shogunal forces. The Daimyo of Yodo maintained his gates closed despite the supplication of the retreating army, thus denying them a major means of defense, forcing them to flee as far as Osaka castle. The daimyo of strategically located Tsu Domain followed two days later. Events of 30 January is shown in the background.]] The retreating Shogunal troops were progressively streaming into Osaka Castle. At Osaka Castle, Tokugawa Yoshinobu gathered his advisors and military leaders to plan strategy and, to boost morale, advised that he would personally take to the field as commander of bakufu forces. That evening however, he slipped away from Osaka Castle accompanied by the daimyō of Aizu and Kuwana to escape back to Edo on the shogunate warship Kaiyō maru. As Kaiyō maru had not arrived, he took refuge for the night on an American warship, , anchored in Osaka Bay. The Kaiyō maru arrived the following day. When the remnants of his forces learned that the Shogun had abandoned them, they departed Osaka Castle, which was later surrendered to Imperial forces without resistance. Yoshinobu later claimed that he had been disturbed by the Imperial approval given to the actions of Satsuma and Chōshū, and, once the brocade banner had appeared, he had lost all will to fight.Keene, Emperor Meiji and His World, page 127 French advisors Jules Brunet and Cazeneuve, who were present at the battle, left Osaka and returned to Edo on 12 January, together with Enomoto Takeaki on board the ''Fujisan''. Enomoto brought with him various documents and a treasure of 180,000 ryō. They arrived in Edo on 14 January. Consequences The effects of the Battle of Toba–Fushimi were out of proportion to its small scale. The prestige and morale of the Tokugawa bakufu was seriously weakened, and many daimyo who had remained neutral now declared in favor of the Emperor and offered military support to prove their new loyalties. Even more significantly, the ill-conceived attempt by Tokugawa Yoshinobu to regain control silenced elements within the new imperial government who favored a peaceful resolution to the conflict.Sims, Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868–2000, p. 14 Osaka Castle, an important symbol of Tokugawa hegemony over western Japan, fell to Imperial forces. The victory set a course for a military settlement rather than a political compromise. See also * Firearms of Japan Notes References *Fukushima Hiroshi. Bakumatsu Ishin: Yume no Ato Kikō. Tokyo: Kyōiku Shoseki, 1990. * * * * *Totman, Conrad. Collapse of the Tokugawa Bakufu, 1862–1868. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1980. *Yamakawa Kenjirō. Hōshu Aizu Byakkōtai Jūkyūshi-den. Aizu-Wakamatsu: Aizu Chōrei Gikai, 1926. *Yamakawa Kenjirō. Aizu Boshin Senshi. Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1933. External links * National Archives of Japan: [http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/kouseisai/category/emaki/boshin_e.html Boshinshoyo Kinki oyobi Gunki Shinzu, precise reproduction of Imperial Standard and the colors used by Government Army at Battle of Toba–Fushimi] Category:Battles involving Japan Category:1868 in Japan Category:Battles of the Boshin War Category:Conflicts in 1868